Texans stay 'DQStrong' for embattled Quessenberry

Campaign raises funds in support of teammate, cancer research

Coach Bill O'Brien was among many at Saturday's Texans practice wearing a "Texans for DQ" shirt - a show of support for tackle David Quessenberry, who is battling non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Coach Bill O'Brien was among many at Saturday's Texans practice wearing a "Texans for DQ" shirt - a show of support for tackle David Quessenberry, who is battling non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Photo: Brett Coomer, Staff

Image 2 of 2

This is a 2013 photo of David Quessenberry of the Houston Texans NFL football team. This image reflects the Houston Texans active roster as of Thursday, June 20, 2013 when this image was taken. (AP Photo)

This is a 2013 photo of David Quessenberry of the Houston Texans NFL football team. This image reflects the Houston Texans active roster as of Thursday, June 20, 2013 when this image was taken. (AP Photo)

Photo: Uncredited, FRE

Texans stay 'DQStrong' for embattled Quessenberry

1 / 2

Back to Gallery

Second-year tackle David Quessenberry was supposed to be fighting for a starting berth in the Texans' offensive line right now. Instead, as he battles non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, he is fighting for his life. But Saturday, he said in a conference call from his family's home in San Diego, turned into a really good day.

Quessenberry said he was in the midst of getting in enough of a workout to break a sweat "and get the blood flowing and lungs pumping."

Further, he was pretty worked up about what was happening on his behalf in Houston. Except for the players, who had to wear their practice jerseys on the field, almost everybody in or affiliated with the organization was sporting new "Texans for DQ" T-shirts, launching a campaign to keep the 23-year-old Quessenberry's struggle with cancer on the front burner while generating $100,000 - if not more - for the Lymphoma Research Foundation.

The shirts, produced by the Houston-based company Running Game Clothing, were center Chris Myers' idea. Quessenberry weighed in on the design. They will be sold for $20 in the Go Texans Store at NRG Stadium and online at shophoustontexans.com, with all proceeds going toward lymphoma research.

Chemo takes its toll

Calling Myers "an amazing, amazing friend through the whole process - the T-shirts show how much he does care," Quessenberry said, "I'm speechless about my teammates. It's a testament to the organization that the Texans are. I mean, not just (the players). We're talking from the top to the bottom, inside and out. I'm so blessed to be a part of such a tremendous organization.

Translator

To read this article in one of Houston's most-spoken languages, click on the button below.

"And, as far as raising awareness (about lymphoma), I think it is huge. I've said it before, if I had been diagnosed with this disease 10 years ago, my chances of survival would have been completely different. I definitely wouldn't be sitting here talking about playing football again one day, which is the end goal for me."

First, Quessenberry wants to feel good enough and have his immune system functioning sufficiently for it to be safe for him to be at NRG Stadium for the Texans' season opener against Washington on Sept. 7.

"That's something I would really, really like to be a part of, and I think I'm going to be able to make it happen," he said. "But it all comes back to my white-cell count and things like that. When my counts are low and my platelet counts are low and all that other stuff, I'm not really supposed to be in a large group of people (because) you can't fight infection."

After three rounds of chemotherapy, Quessenberry is dealing with a dangerous condition called neutropenia. That means his white-cell counts are practically zero. And he still has seven chemotherapy sessions ahead of him, the last five of which will be at Houston's M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, where he said he will be participating in "a research and trial drug" program.

Close call during OTAs

It was during organized team activities that Quessenberry, a sixth-round pick out of San Jose State in the Texans' 2013 draft, realized something was wrong inside his body. He tired too easily, and his chest was congested.

"I couldn't breathe right," he explained. "I was taking medicine (but) it just never got better, so eventually one thing led to another and it got so bad that Geoff Kaplan, our head trainer, came to me after practice one day and said, 'Hey man, you do not look good. You need to go see the team doctor and get yourself checked out. I know something is wrong.'

"Thank God, because, later that day, they found two liters of fluid in my lungs, which had to be drained immediately, and they also went on to find the lymphoma mass in my chest. They said that if the two liters had been left alone and untreated, I could have potentially drowned from the fluid (while) on the field."

Asked about Quessenberry's ordeal, Myers said the Texans are committed to doing everything they can to support him.

"He's made a big impression on all of us," the 10-year veteran and former Pro Bowler said. "We've taken him under our wing like our little brother. I was his roommate at (guard) Ben Jones' wedding early this offseason (before the lymphoma diagnosis). I really cherished that experience. This makes you realize how important life is. We're out here practicing on this field. I'm standing here staring up at NRG Stadium and (thinking) it's really cool to play in the NFL. But he's battling cancer. As much as we can do for him we're going to do. DQ's a grinder and a fighter."

Boosting DQ's spirits

Jones, who is only a year older than Quessenberry, and veteran left tackle Duane Brown also are major players in the campaign that will culminate in "DQStrong Day" on Aug. 14, the Texans' final open practice of training camp. Their goal is to have every fan in attendance wearing a "Texans for DQ" T-shirt - and to be able to announce that the $100,000 milestone has been reached.

"I can only imagine (how) DQ feels," Brown said. "We're trying to show our support, to let him know that he's always in our hearts and our minds, that there's citywide and even nationwide support for him. He's a fighter, and he's a very close friend. We're out here battling every day, but that's nothing - it's minute - compared to what he's facing. To know how strong he is about it, the approach he has taken, to support him as much as we can from afar, that's what we're doing. I'm sure it's helping him keep his spirits up."

Absolutely.

"Every day," Quessenberry said, "guys (are) reaching out to me, even if it's a quick text message, saying, 'Hey we're thinking about you … you're in our prayers … we miss you.' It's little things like that, subtle things, that give you the strength to push through. And some of the days are hard, really hard. It's hard just to keep food down (or) get out of the bed. But when (you're reminded) just how many people are pulling for you, it feels like you've got an army behind you. It motivates you to push through the hard days."